Colorado Avalanche Get Funky with Goal Scoring
The Colorado Avalanche are playing their game. Don’t roll your eyes at the cliche — they really have a game plan, and they’re following it:
- Move their feet consistently
- Maintain puck possession in the offensive zone
- Shoot the puck 30+ times per game
Because of those three objectives in their game plan, the Colorado Avalanche scored three funky goals in the third period against the Chicago Blackhawks and ended up winning the game 4-1.
Unusual Penalties
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The Chicago Blackhawks gave the Colorado Avalanche a 5-on-3 power play at 9:16 of the third period. This type of thing is not unusual in itself. Usually a player takes another penalty during a penalty kill, and the other team gets the 5-on-3. Sometimes during a scrum two players from a team go.
Instead, the Chicago Blackhawks took a couple lazy penalties. The Colorado Avalanche were moving their feet, skating with speed into their offensive zone. First Chicago forward Patrick Sharp tried to stop Ryan O’Reilly, thus interfering with him. On the same play defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson interfered with Gabriel Landeskog.
The unusual aspect is that Sharp and Hjalmarsson took the penalties on the same play. The referees called them both. As a result, the Colorado Avalanche had two full minutes of 5-on-3.
Landeskog Goal
Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog scored a power play goal, and it just happened to be the game winner. The noteworthy part of that statement is that Landeskog’s goal came on the power play. The Avalanche went 0-for-34 in 11 games before finally scoring on the power play against the Arizona Coyotes.
The goal itself was a Landy specialty. Landeskog is so good at parking himself in front of the net, taking all the punishment that goes with that position, and tipping the puck into the net. They’re not pretty goals, but they result from puck possession in the offensive zone.
In this case, center Ryan O’Reilly accepted a pass from defenseman Tyson Barrie. He glided back into position, and then pitched it right to Landeskog for the tip in.
Landeskog now has five goals in five games. This goal streak is his career best, and it’s the first from an Avalanche since Milan Hejduk‘s five-game goal streak in March of 2007.
Barrie Goal
Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie also scored a power play goal — after the Blackhawks game it may not be so necessary to trumpet this feat anymore.
In any case the goal was also a Barrie Special. Avalanche winger Alex Tanguay took possession of the puck. He passed it to Barrie who one-timed it from the point. The puck made its way through a crowd of players and snuck past Chicago goalie Corey Crawford.
This is another example of the Avalanche maintaining puck possession in the offensive zone, which led to a 3-1 lead over the Chicago Blackhawks. It was Barrie’s second goal of the night and third point, which led to his first star honors.
Stuart’s Flukey Goal
Avalanche defenseman Brad Stuart‘s goal really was a flukey one. With 5:47 left in the game, and the Avalanche up 3-1, Stuart casually chipped the puck into the Blackhawks zone.
Stuart aimed for the net, though. And what happens when you put pucks on net? You sometimes get a flukey goal. Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford just mishandled the puck, and it snuck between his paddle and his skate past the goal line.
Doesn’t matter that it was an ugly goal Stuart wasn’t even trying to make. It’s not like the NHL decides those count for less. Stuart’s goal counts the same as the prettiest spin-o-rama top-cheese goal.
Personally, my second favorite part of the whole scene is how Avalanche forward Paul Carey is the only Colorado player close enough to the net to see what happened. He raised his arms in awkward celly.
My favorite part of the whole scene is how Stuart had to look up at the jumbo-tron to even see how he’d scored. He was back on the bench, you see.
So, the Avalanche really are playing their game — and it is working for them. Moving their feet led to penalties drawn. Keeping possession in the offensive zone led to power play goals. And putting the puck on net led to a flukey score.